Fortified wines, Cave de L’Abbé Rous Banyuls Rimage and Thasos Moscatel De Setubal

 Two fortified wines from France and Portugal. The first wine is the  La Cave de l'Abbé Rous Cornet & Cie Banyuls Rimage 2017. Banyuls is an AOC that produces fortified or dessert wines in Rousillion in France. The production process is similar to that of port wine with alcohol added to stop the fermentation. The wine is then matured in oak barreles of glass containers which allows for some oxidisation. Rimage is a catalan word which means vintage so this is a vintage wine.  La Cave de l'Abbé Rous is a producer of wine in Rousillion and incorporates 750 smaller producers. It is hard to find information as usual about Banyuls wines as most of the information is in French and is not easy to find but I read that the grape used should be Grenache.

In the taste I get plum. red cherry and chocolate with sweetness. A very good fortified wine that goes down too easy. 

The next wine is the Thasos Moscatel De Setubal 2010. This is a fortified wine from Portugal and also here the wine is stopped fermenting by adding alcohol. The grape used is Muscat and then it is stored in oak barrels. This wine is produced by the Enoport group in Portugal.

The taste is of oranges and honey. For me it is lacking some acidity to lift it up A nice wine but nothing that I remember.

 

Wachau Riesling and Cotes Du Jura Chardonnay

 Time to step outside of Italy for some white wine from Austria and France. First is a the Riesling wine from the Region of Wachau in Austria. It is called Selection Riesling and is made by Domäne Wachau. it is a big producer and the cooperative owns at least 420 hectars of vineyards and that is almost 30% of the vineyards in Wachau. The wine is of the vintage 2019 and the ABV is 13%. In the taste I get pear, melon and some stoney minerality, A nice easy drinking Riesling.

The next wine is  Chardonnay from the Cotes Du Jura region in France. The producer is Fruitiere Vinicole D'Arbois which is a cooperative having 250 hectars of land and consist of 100 members. The vintage is 2019 and the ABV is 13,5. This is  dry style Chardonnay with a taste of pear and apple with some grapefruit. A good wine but some higher acidity would have lifted the wine.

Domaine Pouderoux, Maury, Grande Reserve 2003

The wine Maury, Grande Reserve 2003 from producer Domaine Pouderoux is a wine that I had bought a bottle of around 2009 and had forgotten about. It was lying on a lower shelf hidden away. So what is this wine? It is a fortified wine from the Maury district in the Languedoc region of France.
Maury is a "vin doux naturel" style where by adding fortifying spirits (brandy)  to the wine in mid-fermentation the fermentation is stopped. This kills the yeast leaving the wine with a high sugar level. Maury is vinified in a manner similar to port, but initial ageing is often conducted in large 25 liter glass jugs known as bonbonnes or les dames jeannes to get an oxidative ageing. The wines may also be aged in wood for up to 15 years.
Domaine Pouderoux is a producer of wine in Languedoc. This family has been wine producers for six generations and the wine here comes from the middle of Maury.
The wine Maury, Grande Reserve 2003 is made from 100% of Grenache Noir grapes. For this wine several ageing methods are used such as wooden barrels and bonbonnes.
So how does it taste after being forgotten on the shelf for 11 years? It has a very deep red colour, almost dark mahogny. In the taste I get plum, leather, fig, raisin, cinnamon an some vanilla. Quite a complex wine with a lot of flavours and taste. A very good wine that has developed nice over the years.
Maury is an underrated region of fortified wines.

Sparkling wine from France and Italy

Three sparkling wines in different styles and countries and regions. First up is a sparkling wine from Champagne. It is a Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Rose from 2006. It has an ABV of 12,5%. Vintage champagne is not made every year. Year 2006 had a hot July followed by a cool and rainy August. But when the harvest started it was hot and dry. Then the wine rested seven years on the yeast before being degorged. I let it rest for four more years before opening the bottle. In the taste I get raspberry, spicy bread with good acidity and body. A lovely rose wine which could probably been resting for many more years.

Then going south to Italy we find the producer Ciu Ciu and the wine Altamarea which is a Vino Spumante Brut. The ABV is 12% an it is a non vintage sparkling wine. On the nose I get some pear. The taste is light and slightly bready. Could work as an alternative to Prosecco.

Last is the sparkling wine Spumante brut from producer I Pastini in Puglia in Italy. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV 12%. The grape used for this wine is Verdeca. The taste is of melon, apple and some bread notes. Quite nice and light. Short to medium finish. A nice sparkling wine.

Chardonnay from Bourgogne and Grillo from Siciliy

France is a country which I don't drink that much from and time to investigate some wines from Burgundy and name a Chardonnay from producer Patriarche  Pere & fils and it is called Chardonnay Bourgogne Couvent des Visitandines. The vintage is 2017 and the ABV is 12,5%. I get some tropical fruits with citrus and lime but with a long aftertaste of grapefruit.

Next up is a white wine from Sicily made with the grape Grillo. It is from producer Feudo Arancio and the vintage is 2017. In the taste I get tropical fruits like papaya and citrus. Very fresh and nice.

Cremant du Jura and Prosecco

Soon it is time for new year so let us try some sparkling wine. First up is is a Cremant du Jura from Jura in France. The name is Tissot-Maire Cuvee Lapiaz. It is an extra brut sparkling wine with and ABV of 12%. It is a non vintage wine. The taste is of citrus and some bready tones with a very little fruit. Not a long aftertaste. Simple but nice.

Next up is a Valdobbiadene Prosecco superiore, which is a higher quality Prosecco. The producer i Ca'Val and it is a brut of vintage 2017. It is a light procecco with some bready tones with pears, citrus and some minerals. Very nice.

Soave and Alsace

The first wine is a white wine from Soave in the Veneto region of Italy. It is called Farina and is a Soave classico wine. The ABV is 12,5% and the vintage 2016. It has a taste of green apples and a lot of grapefruit. Definitely a food wine and goes very well with fish which balances the grapefruit flavour.

The next wine is a white wine from Alsace in France The producer is Leon Beyer and the wine is called Fruits De Mer. The grapes being used are of the Pinot Blanc variety and the vintage is 016. the taste is fresh and fruity with apples, honey and some citrus. Lacking some acidity to raise to another level. A decent wine.

A round up of recent wines

First up is something I barely drink and it is a Sherry which is a fortified wine from Spain. It is the Real Tesoro del Principe Amontillado from producer Marques Real tesoro. It is an Amontillado sherry which has been ages for at least 15 years in oak casks. The ABV is 18.5%. The smell is strong of oxidized sherry. The taste is bonedry and it is a good sherry.

The Wine A Elisabeth if a Dolcetto wine from Alba in Piemonte. I have tried the 2015 vintage before and now the 2016 vintage is out. It is from producer Cascina delle Rose and the ABV is 13%. It has red fruits on the nose. Dark cherries, viols and liquorice with soft tannins and spices in the back. This vintage for me is better than the 2015. An excellent foodwine.

Now over to three white wines. First is a Vermentino wine from Tuscany. The producer is Aja Vecchia, the ABV is 13,5% and the vintage is 2016. I get a fresh nose with green fruits. The taste is citrus, green apples and some grapefruits. A great wine with seafood.

Next up is a white wine from Umbria. It is the wine Villa Monte Vibiano which is a white wine which contains the grapes Viogner, Grechetto and Trebbiano. The taste is a bit dissapointing with some pears and a lot of grapefruits. Works much better if drank with food.

The last wine is a French white wine from Loire. it is the Clisson 2013 wth an ABV of 12%. The grape used is Muscadet. It is a fresh wine despite the age. The taste is of citrus, peaches and minerals.

A cheap Beaujolais

I have never tried Beaujolais in my life. So this will be interesting. From what I have hard a Beaujolais is quite light wine and the grape used is the Gamay grape. The wine I tried is Beaujolais Royal from producer Dufouleur Freres which is produced straight for the Swedish market.

This wine is quite easy drinking with some acidity, nothing bad but nothing good either. Just easy drinking.

Three is the number of red and white

Time for a catch up of the tasted wine. First up is three red wines from Italy followed by three white wine of two is from Italy and one is from France.

One region that I don't try so much wine from is from Molise. I have tried one biferno Rosso Riserva earlier but this one is from producer Cantina Manzini. The grapes are Aglianico and Montepulciano. The vintage is 2011 and ABV is 14%. In the taste I get red fruits and a berry like feeling. Black currants and soft tannins in the aftertaste. A nice one yet again from Molise.

The next one is a Sangiovese from Tuscany. It is the producer Poggio Nero and earlier on I have tried their Montalicino wines. The vintage is 2014 and the is ABV 13%. In the taste I get red cherries and some black peppar. A nice wine with some smooth tannins.

The third red wine is a Dolcetta D'Alba from Piemonte. I am glad that I found this wine as Dolcettos are hard to find in Sweden as most people go with the Barbera or Barolos. The producer is Bruno Giacosa from Neiva in Piemonte. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 14%. I get a lot red fruits on the noose. Black currants and smooth dry tannins in the first taste. In the after taste I get red cherries. Some viols comes out a bit later. A very good wine.

Now over to the white wines. First up is the Zecci Colleione Classico from producer Piersanti. It is a Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi. No it is time for the vintage 2016. The ABV is 14%. Apples and pears in the taste with some citrus in the end. Quite a strong white wine and very good with food.

The producer Lunae I have tried some wines earlier from and this time it is their Vermentino wine called Etichetta Nera. It is called so since the thing that differs from the other bottle I tried is the label colour. The other I tried is called Etichetta grigia and that label is is gray. The black label is the more prestige label as it is older than the grey label. The vintage is 2016 and ABV is 13%. The Etichetta Nera is very fresh and hits of citrus and grapefruits. Lovely wine.

Last wine is a white wine from France and the region Loire. It is a Vouvray wine from producer Lacheteau and the grape is Chenin Blanc. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 11,5%. A veru good nose and tropical fruits in the taste. Mango, melon and some apples with a lingering citrus. A good white wine.

Veuve Lafontan et Ses Enfants XO 12 year old Armagnac

Veuve Lafontan et Ses Enfants XO  is a 12 year old Armagnac which is the standard Armagnac being sold in Sweden. Unfortunately there is a not a big range of Armagnacs in Sweden. An XO Armagnac must have a minimum ageing of 6 years old, although the Veuve Lafontan et Ses Enfants XO is 12 years old. I have also seen 20 year old XO Armagnacs so a much older age is very common. I don't know much abut this producer as their home page didn't say so much. Armagnac is a wine brandy from the district of Armagnac in France.

The colour goes in amber. The smell is very strong, some would say a slight glue smell. I would say cinnamon and extremely dried fruits in alcohol. The taste is dried fruits, oak, cinnamon and chocolate. The aftertaste is a slight burn of alcohol with oak and dried figs.

It is a decent Armagnac at a good price. Well worth starting out when trying Armagnacs for the first time.

France vs Italy

Lets compare a wine from Gascony in France with a wine from Veneto in Italy. Who will win?

The wine from France is a white wine from Gascony, this region is normally known for the Armagnac. The producer is Alain Brumont and the grapes for this wine are Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc. The vintage is 2016 and the ABV is 12%. This wine has a fresh fruity nose. The taste is of pears and grapefruit. A tablewine for me as it screams out for food.

The italian wine is a white wine from Veneto. It is by producer Bottega and is made of the grape Pinot Grigio. The vintage is 2016 and ABV is 12%. The wine has a very nice balance of acidity and the taste is of melons, pears and some grapefruit. A nice wine.

In this battle Italy wins by a small margin.

Two champagnes, Napoleon and Moet Chandon Imperial

At the end of the year is the only time as I taste Champagne. The first champagne is the Napoleon of the vintage 2002. It has been lying on the yeast for 13 years so one can expect quite a bready champagne. The producer is Champagne Ch. & A. Prieur and it was founded in 1825. This vintage consists of equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The smell is quite powerful. The taste is of bread and some apples or pears. For me it is just a bit to much bready but for others this will be the perfect champagne.

Moet Chandon is a big producer of Champagne and their Moet Chandon Imperial is a very common Champagne. It is a non vintage champagne. The taste is of bready and apples with some acidity. A bit similar to to Napoleon but lighter in taste.

Pinot Noir from France

It is not often that I get to drink a red wine from the French region of Languedoc, or even French wines. The wine is Ferrandiere and is from 2015. The grape is pinot noir and the ABV is 13,5%. The taste is spicy, some violets and some harsh tannins in the back of the throat. A decent wine.

So lets return to Italy after the short visit to France. Dogajolo is a white wine from producer Carpinetto in Tuscany. The vintage is 2015 and the ABV is 12,5%. The grapes used for this wine is Chardonnay, Grechetto and Sauvignon Blanc. Already in the nose I can feel the Sauvignon Blanc grapes. But it is the taste that I find lacking. It is fruity aromatic just lacking some acidity. For me it gets a bit tiresome after one glass.

Baron Aime and Bolla

Not everything that sparkles comes from Champagne. Sparkling wine is also produced for example in Cremant de Bourgogne. Here they do sparkling wine according to the traditional method, there the second fermentation is done in the bottle. Baron Aime is a sparkling wine from this area. It consists of the the following grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Aligote. The ABV is 12%. The taste is of apples, citrus and bread. It is like a mixture between a Champagne and Prosecco. A very good sparkling wine.

Bolla is a big producer in Italy and they procude the wine Tufaie Soave Superiore, which is a white wine from Soave of vintage 2014. It has and ABV of 13 % and consists of the grapes Trabbiano and Garganega. The taste is of pears, citrus and is fresh and good. A perfect wine for seafood.

From Jesi to Alsace

Verdicchio is an Italian grape variety which is grown primarily in the Marche region of Italy. One of the two DOP is the Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi. In this region the producer Pievalta produces their Verdicchio wine. The farms are situated on either side of the Esino river valley and the production if organic and for those who are vegans this wine is completely vegan.
The Pievalta Verdicchio dei Castelli Jesi is made of 100% Verdicchio grapes and the ABV is 13%. The colour is light hay. The taste is citrus and has a good freshness. A very good wine.

Going to Alsace where many good white wines is produced. Producer Michel Fonne is a new experience to me. The wine Pinot Gris Roemerberg is from 2007. Quite an old age for a white wine. Michel Fonne is situated in  Bennwihr. Michel Fonne uses the sweetness scale on this wine and it shows a 4. So the wine is semi sweet. A 1 means a completely dry wine. This wine is fruity almost some apricot and surprisingly fresh for the age. If I drank this wine blind I would say that the age of the wine would be a 2013 vintage. An excellent wine and I will try more this producer in the future.

Muscadet from Loire

Once in a while I leave Italy to drink wine from other countries and regions. But I usually always stay in the old world. La Saulzaie is a wine from Loire in France. It is made by producer Pierre Chainier from the town of Amboise. It is from the AOP Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine. The grape is 100% of Melon de Bourgogne. This is a grape that is a crossing between pinot blanc and Gouais blanc and is a green grape from France. The vintage 2015 has a very fresh nose and the taste is pears, citrus, mineral and some almonds. It goes very well together with seafood. A lovely wine.

Back to Italy we go to Vicenza. Here producer Torre Dei Vescovi producer a pinot grigio wine. the vintage 2014 is funny. When drank from straight after opening the bottle the taste is very tropical and sharp. But after leaving the bottle open for a couple of days the character has changed a bit. Now a bit more citrus and pear and less sharp. Interesting wine.

White wine from Alsace and Umbria

I like white wine from the Alsace region in France. They are usually very good. A producer that I have tried some wine from is Cave de Turckheim. Now it is time for their Riesling from 2013 which is organically made. The smell is quite nice but for me the taste is lacking a bit. A bit to light for me with citrus notes. Not a Riesling I would buy again.

White wine from Umbria is not that common here in Sweden. I found a bottle Conte della Vipera from 2014 from producer Marchesi Antinori. This vintage contains 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillion. So it is international grape varieties in this bottle. The wineyards for this wine is at 250-350meters of height. The taste is of pears and grapefruit and is very nice. I like this wine.

Going back in time to the eighties

Fortified wine from Rivesaltes can be quite old.  Rivesaltes is an AOC for sweet fortifies wine in Languedoc, France. The wine I tried were from 1988 and the alcohol level were 17,5%. It is called Ambre Hors d'Age.To be called this the wine has to be stored at least for five years. The colour is amber as usual with old sweet wines and the taste is a bit like sherry. Dried fruit with a bit nutty taste. Very good too a dessert. The producer is Vignerons Catalans.

A good Vermentino wine from Tuscany is the wine Villa Vallemaggiore. It has a taste of citrus and apricot. It is made in Maremma. Very good.

Some fine wines from Italy and France

Wine from France I usually don't drink so much of except the Alsace region. Alsace produces may good white wines. Domaine Rieflé produces several different white wines and the one I had the chance to try is their Gewurztraminer Bonheur Convivial from 2013 is made from 100% of Gewurztraminer. The taste is of Elderberries and is very aromatic. Very good.

Italy has many different grapes and wine regions. One that produces good white wine is the Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi. Fattoria San Lorenzo has a wine called Di Gini which is made of 100% Verdicchio. It has a taste of apples and some citrus. A sharp taste so not for everyone but I quite like it.

Bacio Della Luna is a prosecco from Italy. It has a good apple and citrus taste and is quite light. Your typical good prosecco.

When in Tucany I drove by Castello Banfi which is situated in a beautiful area of southern Tuscany. For the first time I had the chance to try their wine, namely a Rosso Di Montalcino from 2013. The taste is rich and of black currant and plums and many soft tannins. This wine could probably be stored for several years before drinking. Very good.